Jury Gets More Files On Eagan Probe Of Prosecutor Continues After Lull

July 17, 1986|By Jim Leusner of The Sentinel Staff

After a six-month lull, a federal grand jury investigation of Orange- Osceola State Attorney Robert Eagan's office appeared to have resumed Wednesday on several fronts.

At the federal courthouse in Orlando, Eagan's office manager and records custodian turned over several misdemeanor and felony cases dating from 1977. The official, Joyce Cooper, said she did not understand why the files were subpoenaed by the grand jury, particularly because Eagan had no involvement in the cases.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Librick and Perry Doran, head of the FBI's Orlando office, would not comment on the case or the status of their investigation of Eagan and several former employees. But several witnesses interviewed after their appearances before the grand jury indicated that the 18-month probe is going strong.

Eagan, who has been the state attorney since 1969, has denied allegations of payoffs, fixed cases and interference in police investigations. He says political enemies are behind the allegations. Eagan, 60, said Wednesday he was dumbfounded over the most recent files subpoenaed from his office. Like others, he said he had heard rumors that the investigation had ended or stalled.

''I don't know what's going on,'' Eagan said. ''They don't make sense to us. Most of them named in the files were convicted. Somewhere I think the FBI is getting some bad information.''

Witnesses Wednesday included:

-- Carl Lightfoot, 65, of Hendersonville, N.C., a retired investor and mortgage broker from Orlando. Lightfoot is a former client and longtime friend of Eagan, who lent Eagan $6,000 without interest to buy an Orlando condominium in 1979. Lightfoot said Eagan repaid the money last October after refinancing the condo. He also said he helped arrange financing for that purchase and a home Eagan previously owned in Winter Park.

Lightfoot said he was questioned about the loan, his friendship with Eagan and allegations of bribes being paid to Eagan. ''He always did everything by the book,'' Lightfoot said. ''He has never suggested doing anything wrong in my presence.''

''I just told them he was a real good friend, that's why I loaned him the money and why I wouldn't lose any sleep over it if I didn't get paid back.''

-- Two acquaintances of the late Elvin Carroll of Kissimmee, a career criminal and informant accused of being a middleman for bribes. They said they had no knowledge of misconduct by Eagan.

But one witness, who asked not to be identified, told jurors that Carroll bragged about having connections to get drunken-driving cases fixed and said several people approached him for help in DUI cases. The witness said Carroll, a former lumber salesman and dishwasher at a bakery, rarely worked, spent his days drinking in various south Orlando bars and always had ''lots of money.'' -- FBI Agent Allen Brownell, the chief investigator assigned to the Eagan probe. Brownell would not comment on the case, but records on file at the Florida Secretary of State's office in Tallahassee dated June 5 show that Brownell requested Eagan's campaign reports for 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1984.

State investigators checking allegations last year that Eagan accepted a bribe in the mid-1970s to ''fix'' a lawsuit reviewed Eagan's campaign records and apparently found no wrongdoing.

Eagan said he hopes the investigation will conclude soon.

''How long does a guy have to go through this? Sometimes you get mad. There's just nothing you can do.''